Do you know how to read?
by BigFatJellyFish
Summary: Hades has a new batch of souls that came in. He gets Nico to help him. Surly Nico could do something so simple as sorting through some paperwork! ...Right?


**Hi guys! Whats up? Cool, cool. Well, BigFatJellyFish does NOT own Percy Jackson and the Olympians, otherwise, Nico would get more love. Anyway, review, fav, follow, eat some chicken... Do what you want with your life. Constructive criticism always welcome! :)**

Hades was having a bad day. Demeter had visited him this morning claiming that he didn't eat enough cereal. He already ate two bowls a day of that horrid stuff! What was she trying to achieve? Killing him was impossible, and it was the middle of July so Persephone wasn't around to help him fight of his step-mother. Wasn't Demeter happy that she had her daughter? If Hades had to be miserable all by him self down here, at least let him be miserable in peace.

Hades had a lot of paper work to do. A big storm had hit somewhere in Asia, a typhoon of some sort. Anyway, he had a whole batch of souls coming down and he wanted to get the judging out of the way. He sent Alecto out to fetch his son ages ago. He sent her out at around 8 in the mourning, and it was already 8:45! Nico could shadow travel nearly all around the world in under 30 minutes, so why wasn't he here already?

Hades knew he was being impatient but, being all alone down here dose make you lonely. Also, Hades hated to admit it, but with Persephone gone, he needed help. His son usually would run errands around the underworld for him, like make sure no one was trying to escape, and that all exits where sealed off etc… So surly his son could help him with something so simple as paperwork.

Nico was having a bad day. He woke up to the horrible sounds of birds chirping and the sun shining through his bedroom window. Its not like he didn't like those things, it's just that it would mean that the other campers where awake and playing a game or something. He was never one to part take in any "social gatherings". Nico got up, took a shower, got dressed and headed out the door. He was heading to the breakfast hall when he remembered that he hadn't put his skull ring on. He turned back to his cabin and entered, only to find Alecto, one of his father's Furies siting on his bed.

Now, Nico didn't mind Alecto, he actually enjoyed spending time with her. But, as he had come to learn, when Alecto came to visit, she was usually coming to tell him that his father was summoning him. Even though he didn't like social events at camp, he would much prefer going to one than doing jobs for his father. He didn't mind doing jobs, just, they where always the same boring routines. Go around the Underworld, make sure all the souls are still there (like they could ever escape his father's watchful eye). Make sure all the exits where sealed. Feed Cerberus dead cats… That kind of thing.

"Your father wants you" Alecto hissed.

"What for?" Nico asked

"Why would you think he would tell me? He never tells me anything." Alecto retorted.

Nico thanked her as she huffed and flew away.

'Someones in a sour mood today.' Nico thought as he picked up his skull ring and shadow traveled to his father's domain. He tried to arrive just in front of the Palace gates, but unfortunately misguided his travel length and landed right on top of one of the palace guards (Don't ask him how it's possible, he doesn't know)

"Sorry" He grumbled to the Skeleton who was on guard duty that morning.

"No trouble at all sir." The skeleton mumbled.

Nico pushed open the gates and walked up the stone stairs that led to the Palace. He strode up them and made his way through the palace until he reached the throne room doors. With a sharp breath, he pushed them open.

Hades glance at his watch again. 8:55! Hades was not one to usually get impatient but this is ridiculous. The doors to the throne room finally open and to reveal Nico. He walked quickly over to his throne and bowed his head.

"Good morning Father" Nico said. Hades looked at him. He obviously stayed up late again. The shadows under his eyes seem to have become darker than the last time Hades had seen him. He give him a quick nod, a gesture Nico understood as, 'You can ride now'. Nico rose and looked thin. Hades wondered if he had had breakfast yet.

"It took you long enough to get here." Hades snapped. His voice sounded dry and agitated. Nico obviously realized as he tried to apologize.

"I'm sorry father, I had an late start and-" Hades cut him off by thrusting the pile of paper work into his hands. That was the reason why Hades called him here.

"I have a lot of work to do today and I could use another abled body to sort these for me. Go through them all and read the description on the bottom of each paper. It's a brief summary of each person's life. The souls who deserve to go to Elysium in one pile and those who do not, in another. Simple. Read it carefully. If you send some one to elysium who's not supposed to go there, I'll have even more paperwork to do."

Hades turned away from Nico and started going through his own pile of paperwork. When he realized that Nico hadn't given any sign that he knew what he was doing, or heard him even, Hades looked back.

"What's wrong Nico?" He asked.

"Well, um, this is a real honour father, letting me go through the souls and passing judgement on them myself, but, don't you think some one else should do this? It's really important and i don't want to mess up and- " Hades silenced him again with a laugh this time.

"Nico, anyone can do this. All you have to do is find out wether or not they've been good. its quite easy. Anyone who can read could do it." Hades said, still amused by the timidness of his son.

Nico, however, staid silent.

Hades looked at him and realized that Nico's first language was italien, and the only reason he knows english is because he and Bianca picked it up during their stay at the lotus hotel, but, surly he must have learnt how to read…

"Nico, can you read?"

Nico looked down embarrassed

Nico thought to himself 'what kind of son of Hades doesn't know how to read!' He'd successfully hidden the fact from everybody so far, which was really hard. He could read italien and greek, but because of his dyslexia, learning how to read in english without anybody's help was difficult. He could put some letters together to make out directions and he knew all the locations on a map, but reading a book with big words on it? Nico couldn't doit. He was getting mad and embarrassed. Why couldn't he had learned how to read before? Then he wouldn't be in this stupid situation.

Nico shook his head, his hair covering his eyes, and hopefully, he wished, the big blush on his face.

Hades was shocked at first, but didn't want his son to think that he was disappointed. He understands how difficult it must be for him, no mother and nearly no time with his father, an 'evil' stepmother, as Nico would call her, and no one to look up to. Well, maybe except that Poseidon's boy, Perseus Jackson, but he doesn't count right now. Nico had no one to ask for help, and Hades didn't like that.

Maybe he could get the Furies to do the paper work, even though, last time he did that, half the papers had "gone missing", and he had his suspicions that maybe they had been torn up and used as a fire starter by accident.

But Hades felt a weird urge to help the boy. So, he takes the paper work that was still in Nico's arms, and dropped them on the table.

"Alecto, Megaera, Tisiphone!" he yelled. He heard the flapping of wings come echoing into the room, accompanied by 3 Furies.

They knelt before him and awaited further instructions.

'There's a pile that needs sorting. Get it done, and fast. Nico and I'll be in my bed chambers if anything happens.

Nico looked up at his father, was he going to beat him because of his absence of knowledge in reading? Nico knew that he must be an embarrassment but he didn't think he'd be punished for it.

Hades, as if reading his mind, looked down at his son and smiled the nicest smile that he could, albeit it wasn't that warm, but still nice, and said "I cant have a son who can't read. I'll teach you. Come on."

Nico followed his dad out of the throne room, shocked that his father, the lord of the Underworld, was going to take time out of his day to teach him how to read. Nico smiled. A genuine smile, one that he hadn't shown in a long while.

"And Alecto." Hades said over his shoulder, "Make sure that you hand back all the paper work…And no fires ether."


End file.
